The Hemlock Queen suffers from middle book syndrome.
Synopsis
It begins shortly after the events in The Foxglove King, with the three main characters suddenly in positions of power.
Review of The Hemlock Queen
This book was extremely slow in its pacing. I don’t mind slowly-paced books if it’s building up to a big climax or if it focuses on character development, but not much of either happened here. Lore was very much a passive participant compared to book one. She wanted to take a back seat and be taken care of, but the way it was presented didn’t make for a compelling read.
The romance was also a slow burn. The spice is mild. For a romantasy, it’s very light on the romance.
The political challenges didn’t seem as pressing as the conflict between the three main characters. I think this book was spread too thinly by trying to touch on political challenges, court intrigue, religious history, internal conflict, and the love triangle. None of them felt particularly urgent, but some were repetitive. Focusing on a few conflicts would have tightened the plot.
As with the first book, every time Gabe appeared, the focus was on his singular eye. At one point, his eyeball was referenced four times in one page. It started to grate after a while. Everyone else glares, stares, or pierces with their eyes, but Gabe does it with “his one eye.” After two books, surely you can trust the reader to remember this information. I don’t understand why it’s constantly mentioned.
Unless the next book gets rave reviews, I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.
However, YA readers looking to try adult fantasy might enjoy this series as this could serve as a bridge between the two.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: 9 April 2024
Thank you to Orbit for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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